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Monday, June 17, 2013

Review: Watch Over Me by Tara Sivec

Synopsis

Addison Snow is your typical teenager. She has a family that loves her, friends that make her laugh, and she’s wrapped up in the excitement of graduating high school and going off to college to pursue her dream of becoming an author. When her mother, who also happens to be Addison’s best friend, dies unexpectedly, her world comes to a crashing halt.

Death changes everyone…

To make the pain go away, Addison and her father travel down separate, dark paths. She chooses to end her grief forever, while he drowns his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. How do you learn to live again when the most important person in your life is gone?

Addison struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. Instead of getting back to being the carefree teenager she once was, she’s stuck handling all of the responsibilities that should have been her father’s. She has no time to grieve, no time for emotions, and no time for happiness…until Zander Reinhardt walks in. All it takes is one little handwritten note on a napkin to kick­start her back to life and help her realize that maybe there’s more to that life than pain.

But can it really be that simple? Can she really trust this man who makes her feel alive again for the first time in a year?

Addison and Zander both have secrets they aren’t ready to share. When the truth finally comes out, is it enough to tear them apart or has something bigger than themselves always been watching over them, pushing them together, making sure they both get their happily ever after?

BUY HERE:

This is a sweet story about learning to cope with grief. It's really clear that this story is deeply personal to the author. For those readers that have dealt with the loss of a mother or family member, this story will probably be a home run for you. The book is very serious and the plot line is heavily focused on Addison's journey to overcome the pain and heartbreak of losing her mom.I'm a huge Tara Sivec fan and all of her other books have been 5 star reads for me; however, with this book you get a very different Tara Sivec as she dives deeper into the new adult genre. It seemed to swing a little closer to the YA line for me. I straddle a very thin line when it comes to YA books. It seems to be hit or miss for me with each one. For the die hard young adult fans, you'll love Watch Over Me. "It doesn't "work if I work it" because I don't care to work it."The story follows 18 year old Addison, who has pretty much given up hope of ever being happy again. As you learn about Addison's mother's death, alcoholic father, and shattered life, you'll also get a dose of a boy named Zander that seems to be watching Addison. He begins leaving her notes on napkins at her bakery. He wiggles his way into her life little by little. I felt like the romance in this story was very subdued. You really don't get much Addison/Zander action until you are at least halfway through the book and even then it's a little brushed over. Like I said, this book REALLY focuses on Addison's mother's death and her issues that stem from that. Addison was very close to her mom. Thoughts of her mother consume her mind and sometimes trigger her to have panic attacks. She's a young girl that's had a lot of unwanted responsibility thrown into her lap. She always carries the load for everyone else and often forgets to take care of herself."Stop leaving me notes. Stop staring at me. And stop smiling," I growl before I turn on my heels and walk away.

Is it okay if I still breathe? What about blink? Is blinking allowed, Bakery Girl?" he calls to my back."As the story progresses, the book references time that Addison/Zander spend together, but you only get a birds eye view of that time. I enjoyed the witty banter between the two of them. There is one steamy scene and some kisses exchanged between the two of them towards the end, but that's all the action you'll get from these two lovebirds. You'll be excited to know that Zander does have a secret he's hiding that causes a little drama towards the end of the book. Aside from the drama at the end, I have to be honest the story was a little slow for me. I think the reason for that is probably just because I couldn't relate. Overall, I thought Addison was a very sweet character and I enjoyed reading about her journey to overcome her pain and depression. I was pulling for her the whole time and I could feel my heart smile at the end. If there is a best all around award out there, Tara Sivec needs a nomination! Her books cover every little bit of the reading/writing spectrum. I wonder if she has any paranormal up her sleeve? It wouldn't surprise me!

T.E. Sivec is the pen name for Tara Sivec. Under T.E. Sivec, she delves into a more serious genre that is her absolute favorite to read - romantic suspense. She loves reading a book and feeling her heart speed up with anticipation and wanted to be able to give that feeling to her fans.

T.E. lives in Ohio with her husband and two children, living the dream of being a full-time writer.